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:: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS ::
:: from Radio Sweden ::
:: Number 2034--Mar. 14, 1989 ::
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Shortwave and other electronic media news from Radio Sweden.
This week's bulletin was written by Ingemar Sandberg.
Electronic Edition edited by George Wood.
Packet Radio BID SCDX2034
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CORRECTION--Please note that the editor of edition 2033 was Ingemar
Sandberg. We regret the mistaken attribution. (George Wood)
SATELLITE--The American space shuttle Discovery is in orbit, and has released
the third TDRS, Tracking and Data Relay Satellite. The first TDRS was
launched by Challenger in 1983, and another was destroyed with Challenger in
1986. Discovery released another TDRS last September.
With the third satellite the system will be complete, and NASA will be able
to close 6 ground tracking stations. Under the current system, there are 14
ground stations around the globe, and the shuttles relay through whatever
station is closest. Because the stations are so far apart, astronauts aboard
the shuttle can't contact Earth at all for 85 percent of the time.
The ground station for the new system will be White Sands, New Mexico. The
stations which are closing, which may be a bit of a loss for shortwave
listeners monitoring shuttle flights, are Ascension Island; Santiago, Chile;
Guam; Kauai, Hawaii; Dakar; and Yarragadee, Australia. The stations at
Madrid, Canberra, and Goldstone, California will be used for a porject
managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Five stations will continue to provide tracking data during shuttle launch or
landing. They're in Florida, Bermuda, Virginia, and California.
SATELLITE-RADIO--As of Feburary 15th, the following radio channels are being
carried on Eutelsat: BBC World Service (11.674 GHz), Cable One (11.175 GHz),
Norway P1 (11.180 GHz), Norway P2 (11.180 GHz), Radio 10 (11.140 GHz), RTL
(11.091 GHz), Sky Radio (11.650 GHz), Starsat Radio (11.507 GHz), and VOA
Europe (11.507 GHz). (Radio Netherlands via "WRTH Downlink")
SATELLITE-TV--There's a new satellite TV broadcaster beginning later this
month, called Nordic Channel. Among those behind it are the Swedes and
Norwegians reponsible for the "Good Morning Scandinavia" programs on Sky
Channel.
Nordic Channel has signed an agreement to carry the practice matches of
Sweden's defending World Champion ice hockey team prior to the new World
Championships in April. The question is who can watch--the first matche is on
March 27th, and Swedish Telecom can't guarantee a channel in its cable TV
networks by then. Telecom says they may be able to connect to a quarter of a
million households in Sweden's three largest cities in time. But otherwise,
the only people watching Nordic Channel will be those with home satellite
receiving equipment.
In Brussels Monday European Community cultural ministers put the finishing
touches on rules governing broadcasting in the satellite era. With satellite
technology offering a future with dozens of available channels across the
continent, the ministers don't want "television without frontiers" to turn
into a free-for-all.
France and Southern European countries wanted to require European channels to
carry at least 60 percent European produced programming. But the compromise
says only that broadcasters must devote a majority of their airtime to
European programs, "where practical". The rules also say commercials can't be
more than 15 percent of broadcast time.
On Wednesday the Council of Europe, which includes the 12 EC countries, is to
meet to approve similar rules.
Soviet, American, French, and Japanese television networks have agreed to
organize live transmissions from the South Pole. The first broadcasts will be
in December to mark the 30th anniversary of the Antarctica Treaty. (BBC
Monitoring)
JAMMING--According to the West German news agency DPA all jamming
activity from Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union of broadcasts from
Western countries has ceased. However, Dan Ferguson reports that the
Voice of Turkey's broadcasts in Bulgarian are still jammed. Also
remaining jammed are also some broadcasts from Iran and Syria and
broadcasts from Taiwan to China.
Deutsche Welle reports that broadcasts in the Afghan languages of
Pashtu and Dari have been not jammed since March 2nd. Nor are the VOA
broadcasts in these languages. (Dan Ferguson)
Several contributors to CompuServe note jamming to Radio Havana
Cuba on 9655 kHz. The interference, which began only a few weeks ago
has been heard especially in New York and New England around 00:00 and
03:00. (Larry Ober, Rich Friedman and Allan Courtney via CompuServe)
BANGLADESH--The Radio Bangladesh external service has replaced 11510
kHz with 11550 for the at 16:00-20:00, with English at 18:15-19:00.
7520 kHz continues in parallel. (David Kernick, England)
The domestic service of Radio Bangladesh is heard at 13:30 on the
new frequency of 15530 kHz. (Gaurab Banerjee, India)
BRAZIL--Trans World Radio is planning to construct a transmitter
station near Goiania in central Brazil. Transmissions will be on medium
wave and short wave and are intended to cover the whole of the country.
(TWR via Cesar Fabian Higa, Argentina)
The new station Radio Novas de Paz, reported in SCDX-2027, is in
Curitiba. It is operated by Radio Marumby Limitada which can be heard
with different programming on 9665 kHz. (Christian Zettl, Austria)
GUAM--The new DX-program from KSDA, "DX Asiawaves", on which we
reported in SCDX-2029, is also broadcast at 10:30 on 13720 kHz. This is
part of a new English broadcast 10:00-11:00 hrs. (Vidjit Vijaysanker,
India)
HAITI--Political disturbances in Haiti continue to affect broadcasting. On
March 6th a conflict at the Catholic station Radio Soleil put the station off
the air, while the director declared a hunger strike. The station has been an
outspoken critic of human rights abuses in Haiti. Journalists at Radio Soleil
say the conflict is between the country's conservative Church hierarchy and
the director, Father Hugo Triest, who takes a more progressive editorial
stand. The technical staff have sided with the bishops, and took the station
off the air, after he had fired the technical director.
Haiti's Radio Nationale reports that a judge has ruled that Radio Antilles
Internationales can resume broadcasts on FM 93.5 MHz. The station had been
taken off the air by the authorities in October. (BBC Monitoring)
JAPAN--Japan's Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications says that broadcasts
in Fax, or Facsimile, could begin as early as 1991. The Ministry will soon
begin legal and other preparations for Fax broadcasting. 9600 bits per second
will be used, and broadcasts may be used in connection with correspondence
courses, and communciations for organizations and companies.
According to the report, receivers would cost around 700 dollars. (BBC
Monitoring)
JORDAN--English to Europe and North America from Radio Jordan mornings
until 14:15 hrs is observed on the new frequency of 13655 kHz which
replaces 11955 kHz. 9560 continues to be used after 14:15. The Arabic
service of Radio Jordan has been heard on new 15435 kHz from 22:00
until close down at around 22:30. (Edwin Southwell and David Kernick,
England and Frank Hermann, GDR)
LEBANON/ISRAEL--Updating SCDX-2032 the Voice of Hope returned to the
air at the end of February on 6280, 945 and 684 kHz. It is not known
whether the station is still operating from South Lebanon or has now
transferred facilities to Israel as was reported by Radio Lebanon on
February 9th. (BBC Monitoring)
MALAYSIA--The domestic service in English from Radio Television
Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, now has an extended schedule on 7295 kHz:
Mondays-Thursdays at 22:00-01:00, 05:00-06:00 and 09:00-16:00. Fridays
at 22:00-06:00 and 09:00-16:00. Saturdays at 22:00-16:00. (Arthur
Cushen's DX World, New Zealand)
MONGOLIA--Updating SCDX-2027, the Radio Ulan Bator 12:00 hrs
transmission on Tuesdays and Fridays on 12015 and 9615 kHz is not in
English but in Japanese. (Mrs. Dahiben Patel, India)
MOZAMBIQUE--The English broadcast from Radio Maputu 18:00-19:00 uses
11820 kHz instead of 4855. 3338 and 9620 kHz remain in parallel. (V.
Neelakandan, India)
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES--Updating SCDX-2020, the new Trans World Radio
"Monitor DX" program will be on the air to Latin America Tuesdays
beginning March 20th at 01:30 on 15385 kHz on 6180 and 800 kHz. The
program is produced by "El Grupo de Escucha de Buenos Aires" in
Argentina. (Alejandro E. Muraro, Argentina)
PHILIPPINES--The "DX-Dial" program over Far East Broadcasting Company
which was suspended in December is being reintroduced in March. (V.
Neelakandan)
SURINAM--Radio Surinam International now uses 17765 kHz for the 17:00-
17:45 hrs broadcast via Radiobras in Dutch and English. (Joseph Klein
and V. Neelakandan)
UNITED KINGDOM--The new BBC local station BBC Wiltshire Sound is
testing on 1332 kHz. On the 27th of March "Coast-AM" will begin
broadcasts via the transmitters of Invicta Radio in Kent on 1242 and
603 kHz. On April 4th "Xtra-AM" is to begin using 1152 and 1359 kHz
(Bradley Allen, U.K.)
UNITED STATES--WHRI has been heard at 15:00-17:00 on the new frequency
of 21840 kHz. At 16:00 the broadcast was in an East European language,
probably Serbo-Croatian. (Frank Hermann)
For about one year KGEI has been broadcasting in a seldom heard
language: Romany, spoken by the world's about 15 million Gypsies. The
transmission from KGEI is directed to the Gypsy population in Latin
America. Times and frequencies for the broadcasts are unfortunately
unknown. Other stations planning to add Romany to their services are
the FEBC stations in Saipan, Korea, the Philippines and the Seychelles.
(Christian Zettl)
UNOFFICIAL RADIO--A station calling itself Radio, Tehran, the Voice of the
Islamic Republic of Iran, was heard on March 2nd broadcasting extracts from
Salman Rushdie's book "the Satanic Verses". The Ayatolleh Khomeini has
objected to the book and has issued a death threat against the author, which
has led to international protests.
The real Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran does not call itself Radio
Tehran. The clandestine station used a frequency less than 1 kHz away from
Iran's usual channel of 9022 kHz, and was heard at 09:30-10:15 hrs. (BBC
Monitoring)
The "Voice of the SPLA, Sudanese Revolutionary Armed Struggle" has been heard
in English at 13:00 on approximately 11715 kHz. (V. Easwaran, India)
A new clandestine station began operating from Sri Lanka on February 4th
1989: "Thamizan Kural"-"Voice of Tamils". According to announcements the
station is supported by the "Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front."
Programs are in Tamil only. The schedule is 01:30-02:15 and 10:30-11:15 on
7000 kHz plus/minus 5 kHz. (V. Neelakandan)
INTERNATIONAL WATERS--On March 26th Radio Caroline celebrates 25 years
on the air. A VHF service is expected to be introduced for the
occasion. (Bradley Allen, England)
AMATEUR RADIO/SHORT WAVE LISTENING--Some radio amateurs in South Asia
are planning to start a net on the 20 meter band for amateurs who are
also broadcast band DXers. If you are interested, drop a line to SWL DX
NET, Box 907, Colombo, Sri Lanka. (Abhilash Thadhani, India, VU2JYY)
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Sweden Calling DXers is the world's oldest radio program for shortwave
listeners. Radio Sweden has presented this round-up of radio news, features,
and interviews on Tuesdays since 1948. RS broadcasts to North America:
14:00 hrs on 15345 and 21615 kHz
02:30 hrs on 9695 and 11705 kHz
To Europe, Africa, and the Middle East:
03:30 hrs on 11705 kHz (Middle East)
15:30 hrs on 15240 kHz (East Africa)
18:00 hrs on 1179, 6065, 7265, and 11845 kHz
21:00 hrs on 1179, 6065 and 9655 kHz
22:30 hrs on 1179 kHz
And to Asia and the Pacific:
12:30 hrs on 15190, 17810, and 21570 kHz
14:00 hrs on 17810 kHz
15:30 hrs on 15330 and 17810 kHz
The Radio Sweden schedule to Europe can be found on Sky Channel's teletext
Service, Sky Text, on page 496.
The Electronic Edition is based on the Sweden Calling DXers bulletins
which are mailed out every 4 weeks to contributors. Contributions can be sent
to DX Editor George Wood to Swedish telex 11738, CompuServe (via the HamNet
Forum or Easyplex 70247,3516), through the FidoNet system to 2:501/297 or to
SM0IIN at the packet radio BBS SK0TM.
Reports can also be sent to:
Radio Sweden
S-105 10 Stockholm
Sweden
Contributions should be NEWS about electronic media--from shortwave to
satellites--and not loggings of information already available from sources
such as the "World Radio TV Handbook". Clubs and DX publications may reprint
material as long as Sweden Calling DXers and the original contributor are
acknowledged, with the exception of items from BBC Monitoring, which are
copyright.
We welcome comments and suggestions about the electronic edition, Sweden
Calling DXers, and our programs in general.
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Thanks to 66 contributors this week Good listening!